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Welcome to Am I Infected

IMPORTANT UPDATE
Posted Tuesday, August 28, 2012

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"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.

If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.

Please also read through the Welcome Thread so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Fingering is not a risk for hiv transmission either way. A person would have to be bleeding very heavily to pose a risk to the person they were fingering - and they would hardly be in a state to finger someone if they were that badly injured.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Why did I do it! So I fingered a woman in her vagina and anus. She gave me a blow job without condom until I ejaculated. I don't know if she is infected but she did say that she went to one of those swinger clubs. What is my risk of getting HIV this way? I really appreciate your help.

In the entire history of the epidemic there's never been a documented case of transmission in this manner and you aren't going to make history by becoming the first.

If you haven't already done so please read the lesson on transmission. There's a link to it in the first thread in this section. The guidelines for safer sex are pretty simple and mainly involve always using a condom for intercourse whether it be vaginal or anal.

In relation to to this incident I don't see any cause to be tested or for further concern on your part.

This is the second time I've had to merge your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread. Please get with the program.

If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.

Please also read through the Welcome Thread so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Thanks Ann for setting me straight again. I know, I'm pretty irritated with myself for asking questions like this. It's just that every time something like this happens, I start to imagine all kinds of scenarios to scare myself.

On this site and the San Francisco City clinic STD risk chart, giving oral to a woman and insertive oral are both considered none risk for HIV transmission. However, today I was reading the safe sex forum at another well-respected site, the body.org, Dr. Bob seems to be saying that while the risk for receiving oral is low, it is real. He even suggested a guy whose only exposure is getting a blow job to get tested. So how should I take this information? Thanks.

I'm not going to argue with you about theoretical risks. No one has ever got infected in 25 + years by receiving a blowjob or going down on a woman period. Now if you want to argue you find another place to do it. You also don't get HIV by fingering.

I have noticed in the past few weeks, safe sex forums on two other sites that I consider credible, thebody.org and medhelp.org have changed their responses to risks of insertive oral sex from no risk to very low risk. Here is a direct quote from Dr. Bob at thebody: "The estimated per-act risk for acquiring HIV from unprotected insertive oral sex (yes, this includes hand-behind-her-head deep-throating!) with a partner confirmed to be HIV positive is 0.5 per 10,000 exposures." So that is not no risk.

1. I just started seeing this woman now. I don't now her status, I don't think even she knows. We always use condoms for insertive activities, but oral sex in both directions are unprotected. Also, there are lots deep french kissing and touching. So what are the odds that I'll eventually get HIV?

2. This question is for Ann. You often quote a longitudal study of sero-discordand couples to determine what sexual activities are risky for HIV transmission. Could you please give me the URL or reference to that study? Thanks.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Thanks for the reply. Are you referrring to this article "A Longitudinal Study of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission by Heterosexual Partners" published in New England Journal of Medicine in 1994?

Hi, I hate to start this again, but I'm really worried about something that happened this past weekend. I was at the doctor's office for my annual physical. The doctor pricked my finger for a quick blood glucose test. I watched him use a new blade for the nick, but I don't remember if he remembered to replace the disposable tip on the meter. What if there is blood left from the previous patient, would that infect me when he used the meter to swipe blood from my finger? Thanks for your replies.

NO. For a start, medical personnel are very careful when it comes to things like this. Not only do they not want to infect anyone with anything, but they also do not want a malpractice suit.

Secondly, hiv is a very fragile virus that quickly becomes damaged and unable to infect. This would be no different to an environmental exposure and environmental exposures do NOT result in hiv infection.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Have a dentist appointment on Saturday. I need it, but I'm getting nervous. Even for a regular cleaning, there is always some bleeding. How do I know all the equipments are properly sterilized? Thanks in advance for your input.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Sorry, I have to come back here again for your help. So this is what happened. I had sex with a girl that I didn't really know well. We used a condom. But after I finished, as I was pulling out, the condom slipped and was left inside her. I didn't know how much of her stuff got on me. What is my risk? Do I need to go to a doctor before too late? Thanks in advance.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

You can show your appreciation by reading the condom and lube links in my signature line. If you'd held on to the condom when you withdrew like you're supposed to, you wouldn't be here worrying about it. Use condoms correctly and you won't have a problem.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts